As this developed, the supposed manufacturer of the candies, Davao City-based Wendy’s, issued a statement disowning the products even as Davao City Acting Mayor Paolo Duterte ordered a probe of where the poisonous sweets had come from.

Supt. Martin Gamba, spokesperson of the Caraga police, said the arrests were made in the towns of Cagwait, Tago and Tagbina and in the city of Tandag when authorities conducted pursuit operations against ambulant vendors said to be responsible for the proliferation of the candies.

He said so far, 1350 persons had suffered nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps from consuming the candies tainted with still unidentified contaminant.